McGurk murder accused set to plead guilty

One of the men charged over the shooting murder of Sydney businessman Michael McGurk is likely to plead guilty, a court has heard.

Haissam Safetli - along with Christopher Estephan and property tycoon Ron Medich - were due to face a committal hearing next month to decide whether they should stand trial over the murder of Mr McGurk.

The former businessman was killed by a single shot to the head outside his Cremorne home on Sydney's lower north shore in September 2009.

But at Central Local Court on Thursday, Safetli's solicitor Dennis Miralis indicated his client would "in all likelihood" plead guilty to the murder when he re-appeared next week.

The news comes more than a month after one-time featherweight boxing champion Lucky Gattellari was sentenced to a minimum of seven and a half years for being an accessory before the fact of the murder of Mr McGurk.

The crown alleges Medich enlisted Gattellari to carry out the contract killing of his former business associate.

Gattellari then allegedly recruited business associates Senad Kaminic, Safetli and Estephan to help.